Hialeah Transfers Half-Million to Horsemen

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Hialeah Park has transferred $585,000 of the remaining $1.3 million held in horsemen's accounts to Calder Race Course, according to Pat Ernst, a representative of the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

Acting on behalf of horsemen, the division performed an audit of Hialeah's accounting on June 4-5, and confirmed the calculations that approximately 75% of the funds remaining in horsemen's accounts at the close of the meet May 22 had been forwarded to Calder. That left $1.3 million to be transferred.

"We had never done anything quite like that before and weren't sure what to expect," Ernst said of his department's audit. "The Hialeah people were very cooperative."

Linda Mills, president of the Florida Horsemen Benevolent and Protective Association, said it is customary for tracks to forward the complete balance to the track in operation within five days of a meet's conclusion. But Hialeah's executive vice president, John Van Lindt, said the only reason the transfer did not take place sooner was cash flow.

"We have a receivable balance of between $3 and $4 million from simulcasting outlets," he said. The remaining $715,000 was to be transferred by June 8, he said.

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